Sunday, December 05, 2010

Sudan Day 9

So I feel like I, with what I am sharing, may think rainbows are flying out of my a**, but omg I am at the end of yet another PHENOMENAL day!! Really thought it would be a quiet one, staying in to do video interviews w/ a few of the wkshop participants. Even after the first 1 I was on cloud 9. If I had written a script it would never have been better than this woman spoke about the state of maternal & infant care in the villages, her overwhelming, genuine excitement w/ this program training & confidence that it will translate to saving lives in the villages. I am 100% sure she wasn't just trying to say the right things. Her enthusiasm will hopefully spur support from donors!
Then early in the afternoon I decide to join the others at the Torit Hotel (more like a rundown motel) to work. The hotel has electricity during the day w/ a bonus of overhead fans. On the way I see a pair or women walking my direction and one is fully draped in an incredibly vibrant red wrap, head to toe. I just cannot let her pass by w/o taking a picture it was so dramatic. So I approach them & get their consent to take a few. I thought to myself that if I have reached the extent of my image capturing for the day it has been another great day & I would be content.
But while working, I heard men chanting & marching by the entrance of the hotel. I saw a flag go by & knew they were marching for the referendum. I was bummed I missed them. Luck would have it that 20 minutes later I heard them on their way back. I quickly grabbed my camera & sprinted out the door. It was such a cool scene. Men in white referendum shirts were singing while being lead by the S. Sudanese flag. I snapped a few pictures, raised my fist to them, they sang & cheered louder, I ran ahead, snapped more, ran further ahead again & did a little video. It was so great & I was about to return to the hotel when I decided maybe I should follow them. They marched to the grounds where the soccer games had been played, a HUGE open area. There were 3 big open sided tent like things filled w/ lots of plastic chairs set up, something was going to be going on here but I had no idea what yet. So I figured I would watch and wait. The men marched around & then another group of young men came w/ drums. Some were painted & had small head dresses. Oh this is getting good, I thought to myself. Then I thought how crazy that once again I found myself getting to witness another incredible scene. Then a group of women came out of nowhere in traditional beaded dress & joined in the dancing, even better. After a while I think I had better run back & grab my long lens camera because this was just too good. I take off running & I am sure that was a strange sight for everyone else…look at that white girl taking off!!!
When I return the scene just keeps going & more & more people are joining in. I decide to take a seat in one of the chairs & just take it all in (in the shade, so nice!) There are men & women jumping all over the place wielding spears. One older woman draped in a lavender wrap starts coming towards me as she brandishes her spear. She is having fun w/ me & I can’t believe this is happening to me!! Incredible! There are now groups forming everywhere and in the distance there is a group of men covered in red dirt, long feathers coming off the top of their heads, carrying spears & long wooden cylinders while jumping up & down around a guy playing a drum & another who is blowing through a gynormous cattle horn horn . I decide I need to get a closer look at these guys so I walk out to the group. I move around the group for awhile & then out of now where streams of Land Cruisers pour into the area, armed soldiers jump out & then someone who is obviously very prominent emerges from one of the cruisers. I now realize the chairs have all been packed with distinguished looking people (a handful I recognize from the King’s funeral). The man, tightly guarded by soldiers starts making a processional around a huge area shaking hands of the mobs of people. I somehow find myself directly in front of him quickly moving backwards while he moves forward. I am snapping away, this is CRAAAZZZZZYYY!!! Then a 3 hour rally takes place. Having relinquished my seat I am not left to stand in the sun at the front of the crowd. Should have put sunscreen on, but oh well, this is worth it. I am in the middle of a major Southern Sudanese referendum rally, OH MY GOSH life is ridiculous about now! There were many speeches that ended w/ an hour plus speech from this man they referred to as “Your Excellency”. Then the man, his entourage, other prominent parliamentary members are all whisked off leaving behind them more dancing. Did I really get to see all that today??!!! I haven’t had a chance to look at the back of my camera to see what I managed to capture, I can’t wait to look.
So you would think that would be the close of my great day, but no….the week leading up to this trip so many people asked me what I was going to be doing or what I expected. I told them I had no idea (I really had NO idea) but I just felt it would be a great trip, but if the photography side ended up a bust I knew that I was sure to meet one or two great new people and that would be enough. And when I say great it had nothing to do w/ what they did or “who” they were it was just that I knew I would enjoy meeting new people. So tonight I realized that not only the photography side has been unforgettable but I have met great people. And it goes along w/ my belief that even if on paper someone is different than me I probably can find something in common with them to connect with. So I want to share the last part of my day because I kind of feel like it is just as special as the photography. It is something I need to keep reminding myself to push past when I am at home in my comfort zone.
I have really loved connecting w/ two women here & I want to give you their “on paper” backgrounds:
The first is a 23 yr old, 2009 Wellsely (I’m so dumb I can’t even spell this East Coast all girls school). You would think we would have nothing in common but we definitely connect & I am amazed at the head on her shoulders & feel lucky to crossed paths with her. The second is a devout (but not overt) Pentacostal, non-drinker, OB/GYN doctor from Boston. I could have assumed these are 3 things I do not have anything in common w/…religious, no fun, too smart east coaster, call it a day & not try to get to know her. At home I wonder if I would have. We have enjoyed long conversations w/ each other, she is such a great woman & tonight we both laughed that & conquered that it is ESSENTIAL to always get out of your comfort zone, try and connect w/ others even when you think they are so different than yourself because usually you find just the opposite & maybe you can learn something from each other. We sat at the roadside grill until the kicked us out. Such a great end to another mind-blowing day!!

Now if only I wasn't sweating at 11pm!! Africa hot never gets any easier!

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